Feeder



Patented Apr. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT YOFFICE Y FEEDER William A. Morton, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application J-une 24, 1929, Serial No. 373,122

12 claims. .(01. 4,9-56) One of the principal objects of this invention is toprovide means for delivering glass of uniform temperature to a glass working device. This is accomplished'by the-mixing effect of an im-pellerwhich imparts lateral and vertical motion to glass simultaneously and .prevents the glass resting in contact with its support `means for a period of time which would Vcause a change in temperature and viscosity. v Iny most glass working devices Yglass ycharges of non-.uniform viscosity are delivered `to the working machine, impairing quantity. .production of-articles of de- .sired..commercialquality.

.invention relates. to forehearth structures for glassmelting tanks and more particularly .to apparatus forv delivering `molten .glass .to ,suction .forming .machinesof the-type lin which glass is drawn from the forehearthl 7intothemolcl .of the forming. machine.

-Glass forming machines which draw their chargefrom the glass tank, .operate .to project 4Vthemolds into the pool of .glass which isdrawn .intothemold when thelatteris evacuated. vWhen ,thelnoldis lled, the attenuatedbody.connecting ltheglass in the pool-and mold, is [cut off bysuitable, shears ,and ydrops back .intothe pool. vvThe Vshearing of the attenuatedbodyleaves a .chilled and roughened surface in the pool which would greatlyincrease-.to the. extent. of .preventing the 'manufactureof `good glassware, and -toobviate this difliculty, it has .beensuggestedto constitute witlflin thepool, fromn which the glass is drawn,

, 4.a rotating ,member which circulates. the glass-in saidpool.

lnaccQrdance with ,the .presentinventiom the forehearthpf the tank .is not .bodily .rotated,.as

Wasjheretofore.customary, but vthe pool fronr which the glassis drawn is provided witha fresh `V `undistu rbednglass surface Vof generally uniform 4o temprature bymeans of 'a rotatnsdskwhich is submerged inthe pool and whichl `is adapted to provide circulation of thejmolten glassin the foehearth which is merely an extended portion fof-'the glass'm'elting hearth.

. In the'a'ccompanying drawmg' constituting a part'hereof and? in "which like reference characltersldesignate like parts, Figfl'isa top plan View of;l a vforehearth .and disk embodying the principles. of this invention; Fig. 2'is ay longitudinal sectional view thereof, partly'in elevation;.Fig. 3

isa front elevational view; Fig.` 4 is' a Vertical' sectional view ofthe disk member employed in-the v' forehearth; .and Fig. 5 is a sectional elevational view .thereof taken along `the line VTV, Fig. 4. Rfefihgftdff2,0f the drames.; the. .Structure therein illustrated comprises a forehearth I provided with an opening 2 through which the molten pool of glass 3 is made accessible to the molds of a suction forming machine. The 'forehearth I projects from the glass tank or furnace, generally designated at .4. A disk member 5 having an extension sleeve B is disposed through the opening 2 of the fo-rehearth and is adapted to be submerged in the pool 3. The sleeve I5 of the disk is secured to a hollow vertical spindle I which is connected by gearing 8 and speed reducer 9 to a drive motor III. The drive mechanism is suitably supported on a frame structure generally designated at II to suspend it above the forehearth.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the disk 5 and its drive spindle 'I are carried by a cross member I2 that is Xed to the frame II and the spindle 'I is journalled in a yoke member I3 having screw thread engagement with screw spindles I4 that are adapted to be rotated through mitre gears I5 and the shaft I6. The latter is connected through sprocket gear and chain I'I and I8 with a hand wheel I9 by the rotation of which the cross yoke I3 and its spindle 'I are subjected to vertical movement for the purpose of changing the position of disk 5 with respect to the surface of the pool in which it is submerged.

The disk 5 is subjected to very high temperatures and is therefore constructed of suitable heat resisting materials, and in addition is provided with a water cooling system to protect it from the intense heat.

The detail construction of the disk is more clearly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing in which the disk 5 is` shown as a refractory body of hollow construction in which a conduit or pipe 25 is disposed. A spider consisting of pipes 2| is secured to the end of the pipe 20 and v a pipe line 22 having branches 23 projecting into the pipes 2| is disposed in the conduit 20 and constitutes a water supply source by means of which a cooling medium is circulated through the disk, the water being withdrawn through the pipe 20 f and the-hollow spindle 1.

vAs shown in Fig. 3, the spindle 'I is provided with a swivel joint and overilow projection 24 fr and 25 through which the cooling medium is ly renewed at the withdrawal position. The skimmer or scraper may also be made of refractory or other suitable heat resisting materials.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the disk 5 may be provided with openings 5a extending from the lower to the upper face of the disk. The openings are at an angle the inclination of which is such that molten glass will feed upwardly from the bottom to the top of the working pool for the direction of rotation in which the disk is normally operated, to provide an adequate supply of fresh glass.

As a further means for preventing the chilled glass from accumulating in the working pool, the

forehearth is divided by a partition wall 26a and by rotation of disk 5 circulation of the molten glass is produced on both sides of the partition member. With this construction the chilled glass is passed to the rear of the forehearth where it mingles with the hot glass from the furnace, and burner ports 2l' are provided to maintain the glass pool at suitable working temperature.

The scraper 26 is fitted into the top of the partition wall 26a as shown in Fig. 5 and is adjustable by screw members 2Gb with respect to the upper face of the disk 5.

In operation, the circular clay brick or disk 5 is submerged slightly below the surface of the glass in the forehearth l of the melting tank. The glass is very viscous at bottle Working temperature and the disk is rotated at suitable speeds through the transmission and drive motor to move a fresh undisturbed glass surface of generally uniform temperature to the region of the opening 2 in which the suction molds contact with the pool 3 to withdraw successive charges of workable molten glass. The disk may be raised or lowered in the pool to change the depth of glass above the upper surface of the disk in accordance with the quantity of glass withdrawn by a given mold charge.

It is evident from the foregoing description of the invention that a submerged rotatable disk embodied in the forehearth of a furnace is capable of maintaining a supply of fresh uniform temperature glass for suction forming machines, whereby a product of uniform quality is produced.

The disk as shown is operated in a clockwise direction and is offset in the mouth of the forehearth in such manner as to readily draw heated glass into the area occupied by the said disk.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

I claim herein as my invention:-

1. In a glass working chamber for supplying molten glass to a glass forming machine of the suction type, the combination with mechanically movable means disposed below the surface of the pool for moving theglass therein, of a skimmer engaging the surface of the glass moved by said movable means whereby the surface of the glass is mechanically leveled.

2. In a glass working chamber having a pool supplying molten glass to a glass forming machine having a constant withdrawal position relative to the chamber, of means submerged Within the glass pool and below the surface thereof for moving the glass past the Withdrawal position and a skimmer engaging the surface of the glass above the glass moving means whereby the surface may be constantly renewed at the Withdrawal position.

3. In a glass working chamber having a pool for supplying molten glass to a glass forming machine obtaining a glass charge from the surface of glass in the pool, the combination of means for moving the glass below said surface and means for engaging said surface from above.

4. In a glass working chamber having a pool for supplying molten glass to a forming machine, a rotatable member submerged below the surface of the pool, and means for actuating said member for circulating the glass horizontally in the glass gathering area said member being further provided with means for working the glass from the bottom to the topof the pool in response to its rotating movement.

5. In a glass wo-rking chamber having a pool for supplying molten glass to a forming machine, of a partition Wall dividing said chamber and extending to said pool, a rotary member submerged in said pool and means adapted to divert the flow of glass produced by the rotary member to one side of said partition wall.

6. The method of effecting circulation of molten glass which comprises imparting movement thereto by a member angularly movable in a horizontal path located internally in the glass, directing the flow of glass past a gathering station, and circulating the glass vertically while subjecting it to horizontal movement.

7. The method of effecting circulation in a pool of molten glass which comprises imparting movement to the glass by an impeller below the surface of the glass, and arresting recirculation of the surface glass remote from the gathering area to continually renew the glass surface in the gathering area.

8. The method of Veffecting circulation ofv molten glass which comprises moving the glass from a heated supply source to a gathering area and returning the unused surface portion thereof through separately defined paths, circulating the glass in the gathering area by an impeller disposed below the glass surface, and arresting the direct recirculation of the surface portion to continually renew said surface in the gathering area.

9. In a glass working chamber having a pool for supplying molten glass to a forming machine, a glass gathering area dened by the walls of said chamber, a rotatable member submerged below the surface of the pool for circulating the glass horizontally in the glass gathering area, said member having a plurality of inclined slots in angularly spaced relation extending from the bottom to the top thereof, said slots functioning to displace the molten glass from directly below the rotatable member to the top thereof.

10. Apparatus for supplying and circulating molten glass which comprises a glassl melting tank having an extension thereon, said extension being adapted to contain a pool of molten glass, an opening for establishing communication between the interior of the glass melting tank and the said extension, a refractory block located in said opening for dividing it into a plurality of glass conducting channels, means for causing glass to flow from the glass melting tank through one of said channels into the said extension, and from said extension back into the melting tank, comprising a stirring implement having a disk-shaped head immersed in the glass, means for rotating said implement about a vertical axis and an extension formed on said block overlying said disk for removing glass therefrom.

1l. In combination with an extension of a glass melting tank for containing a pool of molten glass, a rotary circulator constantly dipping in the glass, means for rotating said circulator about a xed vertical axis, and a refractory member in said pool of glass, positioned radially of said circulator, said member partially dividing the pool into separate channels and having a part thereof shaped to Serve as a scraper for removing glass from the circulator.

12. Apparatus for supplying and circulating molten glass which comprises a glass melting tank having an extension thereon, said extension being adapted to contain a pool of molten glass,

an opening for establishing communication between the interior of the glass melting tank and the said extension, a refractory block located in said opening for dividing it into a plurality of glass conducting channels, means for causing glass to ilow from the glass melting tank through one of said channels into the said extension, and from said extension back into the melting tank, comprising a stirring implement having a diskshaped head immersed in the glass, means for rotating said implement about a Vertical axis and an extension formed on said block overlying said disk for removing glass therefrom, said diskshaped head and extension being vertically adjustable.

WTLLIAM A. MORTON. 

